Last week, railway operators across the country unveiled an unprecedented set of reforms to change the make-up of train stations. Under their plans, Bournemouth Station's ticket offices will close, replaced by a single customer support team on the platform. There will be a full transition to digital ticketing. You can read more about the proposals here.
I must say I am initially sceptical of this plans' merits. Nearly twenty percent of Bournemouth West constituents are over 65 - many without access to smart technology - and phones can be unreliable if lost, not connected to Wi-Fi or dead. Ticketing machines can also be complicated for the elderly and vulnerable.
Any decisions taken must consider the views of- and have consent from- customers. That's why I am pushing hard for residents to have their say before the ongoing consultation surrounding the reforms close on July 26th. Operators are obliged to consult the independent watchdog TransportFocus, who are feeding people's views into the process.
Tell them what you think of the changes and how it will affect you here.
You can then email your response directly to our local operator, South Western Railway, at TicketOffice.SWR@transportfocus.org.uk. I would really appreciate it if you could show me your responses too, by CC'ing me in the email or sending me a copy of your response. This will allow me to represent the views of our constituency appropriately.
Please give your views so that decisions are informed and in the interests of the travelling public.
